AC Milan and Paris Saint Germain have also held talks with the 27-year-old, but no club has been able to meet City's £30million-plus valuation.

With less than a week remaining of the transfer window, Tevez is presently in Argentina, having returned to South America in November, and City have stopped paying his wages.

Both the striker and his club are keen to see an end to what has become an arduous saga, which began in September after he refused to resume his warm-up in the UEFA Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

But on Tuesday evening City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak outlined the club would not allow Tevez to leave in any undervalue deal and if any suitable arrangement cannot be found then they would expect the forward to honour the remaining two-and-half-years of his contract.

AC Milan have been Tevez's preferred destination, but, with PSG having pulled out of a deal because they believe it is too expensive, they now also appear to be his only option after Inter ruled out a move due to the return of other players from injury.

Inter Milan board member Marco Tronchetti Provera told Ansa: "Now we're no longer interested in Tevez. He is following a different path.

"Inter have recovered their champions and there is no need to have him or another, even if Tevez remains a great champion."

Inter, meanwhile, remain unsure over the future of Thiago Motta, who has been regularly linked with PSG.

Asked whether the midfielder will stay at the Giuseppe Meazza, Provera said: "It's a question that for now has no answer. These are choices which the club will do with the player."